


How Do We Go Back?

by Rabiesbiscuit



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Betrayal, Bisexual Disaster Clementine (Walking Dead), Blood and Gore, Brutal Clem, Clem doesn’t understand her feelings, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, F/F, F/M, First fanfic so it’s probs gonna suck, Friendzone Violet/Save Louis route, Hurt/Comfort, I'm Sorry, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Slllooooww Ass Burn, Strong Language, Unhealthy Relationships, Why the f did I write this?¿?, pls be nice to me
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-18
Updated: 2019-08-18
Packaged: 2020-09-06 18:17:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20295868
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rabiesbiscuit/pseuds/Rabiesbiscuit
Summary: “I know I'm always teasing her. Trying to get her to do that one eye roll she does...you know the one? Where it’s like:You’re such a dumbass she has to do a full-body eye roll. I do it because when I do manage to make her laugh,it's worth it. If I needed her she’d be there. Meat cleaver in hand ready to chop someone in half if it meant protecting me.”Louis just doesn’t know anymore.“What happened then Minerva?”“I killed her.”How did things go so wrong?  She didn’t deserve it,she didn’t deserve what Minerva did to her.  She didn’t deserve...whatLouisdid to her.What If Louis didn’t leave Violet down in the cells? If he tried to help…would things be better? Or would they be worse?





	How Do We Go Back?

__ Louis felt a lump form in his throat. God…what a shit show. His eyes wandered across the crimson floor. Red,he hated that color. It was the color of pain,the color of loss,death. Stained with his guilt,stained with his incompetence. It was only the fact that Dorian came rushing back into the hallway at the perfect time,startling Louis just enough that he was able to do it. To do what Clementine could without even a second thought. He would have to live with the uncertainty of never knowing. If Dorian hadn’t intervened,then Louis was almost certain that he wouldn’t have been able to bring himself to shoot Minerva to help his friend. His best friend,two of his best friends would’ve died because of him in the span of two weeks. He looked down at his trembling hands,It seemed to stick and burn into his skin like hot,undried tar. He wondered if his hands would be permanently painted with Dorian’s blood. If no matter how hard he tried to wash it off,it would never go away.

He thought of Clementine’s hands,not a drop of blood. But her kill count must have been sickeningly high.  _ “It will get easier”  _ He thought to himself,it has to.  _ It has to.  _ Aasim’s voice startled him out of his thoughts. 

“Clem!! Come on,we have to get the hell out of here!!” He shouted,

“Go,I need to find AJ.” 

“Clem,I...I can…” Louis croaked,no...not her. He couldn’t let her fight on her own,not against that psychotic woman. But what could he do?

“I’ll be fine. If you want to help,make sure everyone gets off the boat safely.” Clem gestured slightly to Violet,who was too focused on the redhead to acknowledge either of them. Louis swallowed hard,but nodded. Clementine made her way up the stairs to the deck. He watched as her form disappeared out of sight. Suddenly it was deafeningly silent,it was strange. Moments before there was nothing but chaos. Louis felt his heart start beating at a quicker pace,he knew Violet. He knew whatever he tried he’d be treading on  _ very  _ thin ice. He’s seen her like this before. When she first came to Ericson,Headmaster Richard Ericson had grown to strongly dislike the little blonde girl. She never spoke a word for the longest time. Violet’s passivity to everything and everyone was often misread as disrespect for authority by staff. And with the Headmaster’s legendary arrogance and inflated ego she got under his skin more than anything else. 

Louis had tried (and failed miserably each time) to bring her out of her shell. Him and her we’re rarely ever together. Louis being a grade above Violet they only ever really saw each other in the dining hall during meals or in the hallway. He always offered her a smile and a wave. Overtime,she started to wave back. One day,he noticed that Violet was sitting with two twin girls. He didn't remember their names at the time,they were older than him and mostly kept to themselves. Violet’s roommate Brody was also sitting with them. Ever since then the four were inseparable,it wasn’t until after the outbreak began that Louis and Violet became friends. The older twin;Minerva was blissfully unaware of Violet’s feelings for her. Over the years,Violet fell more and more in love with Minnie. Eventually they finally became a couple,but their happiness only lasted for a few months. Violet once again curled into herself,the first month was the hardest. She refused to leave her room and only let Tennessee enter to bring her food when she absolutely needed it. Some nights he could hear her screaming all the way from the girls dormitory. Her mind plagued with nightmares of the twins slowly being ripped apart by walkers. Whenever this happened,he’d take her to the music room and play until she fell back asleep on one of the couches. Some nights he’d play for so long he’d fall asleep slumped against his beloved piano. The first time she started eating with the rest of the group again,her and Brody got into a fist fight in the dirt. Leaving Brody with a black eye and Marlon angrily snapping at Violet. She only truly started getting better once Clementine came along. Violet took a liking to her almost immediately,even though she wouldn’t admit it at first.

Louis noticed the curious stares Violet sent Clementine’s way when she was first up and about,walking around the courtyard for the very first time. He knew Violet had taken an interest in her,but wasn’t sure if it was in _that _way or not. His suspicions were confirmed when she seemed to angrily shut down every move he made towards Clem. He didn’t mind it,of course. He’d be lying if he said he wasn't disappointed,seeing Clem getting closer and closer to Violet. But as much as he adored the intelligent,decisive,badass survivor Clementine was;having her as a best friend and Violet as her girlfriend was the next best thing. After everything the last two weeks had thrown at them he trusted Clem to make sure Violet is happy and taken care of. Even if Clementine decides to stay playtonic with them both,that would be more than enough. With her,he felt accepted and understood. In a way no one else had,even with Marlon he felt more like an occasional stress reliever and was never really taken seriously. Their relationship changed drastically after Marlon stepped up to the plate and became leader. They were no longer the carefree,adventurous pranksters they once were before the world had ended. Marlon went down one path and he another. By the time he realized just how dark that path really was,it was too late. Louis would never forgive himself for Marlon’s death,for not getting involved when he had years to do so. Years that they would never get back. He couldn’t bring himself to hate AJ or Clem,not when he was just as responsible. If it wasn’t for him,Marlon and Brody would still be alive. If he had stepped up even before then,maybe the twins wouldn’t have been taken and none of this would've happened. It was all his fault. But Clementine had given him a second chance,a chance to prove that he could do things right. And he’d be **damned** to waste it. He refused to let another one of his friends die because of him.

“Vi...C’mon,we have to go.” She didn’t answer him,her pastel green eyes refusing to leave the sight of her lost lover. No,not now. It was always best to leave her alone in this state. But that wasn’t an option,they had to leave. Or all three of them would die. Louis carefully thought of something to say,as his mouth became dry. In the end,he decided to get to the point. They were running out of time,and Clementine was counting on him. “We put a bomb in the boiler,we’ll be burnt to a crisp if we don’t go! Now!” Violet’s gaze finally snapped towards him,he could feel the animosity radiating off of her. “Un- _ fucking _ -believable.” Louis flinched at her harsh tone. “And here I thought she was full of shit,if her stupid crazy fucking plan failed and we got stuck down here then we all would’ve died!”

  
  


“That’s the only thing that would’ve worked. The raiders would’ve just come back for all of us later if we didn’t stop them!” Louis explained,but this only seemed to make the blonde angrier. It’s like all the progress Violet had made over the last year was completely thrown out the window. 

  
  


“Why are you taking  _ her _ side?!” She raged,her voice cracking. “After everything she and AJ have done! AJ gunned Marlon down,and now Clementine placed a goddamn bomb on the boat! She’s fucking psycho. We can’t trust her,Lou.”

“That’s bullshit and you know it! You defended her,you two stressed the fuck out for weeks to make sure we all made it. Clem saved us,Vi. She saved you. Fuck-we don’t have time for this!” Louis pleaded,placing a hand on Violet’s shoulder. She tensed,but didn’t recoil.

  
  
  


A shuffling noise behind them caught both of their attention. Minerva stood up,placing her hand on the wall to steady herself. 

  
  


“Minnie..?” Violet almost whispered,reaching out to her. The taller girl groaned,wincing as Violet’s fingertips gently brushed against the side of her face. Louis noticed the bruises starting to form on her cheek and next to her left eye where Clementine had struck her. He tried to ignore the anger and disgust that boiled inside of him at the thought of his dear friend,Minnie. Now turned murderous,ruthless raider. He shut his eyes trying to force away the images of Sophie’s death,her face matted with tears. Expressions of fear,shock,horror,agony,and finally...nothing. Flashing across her pale features. As Sophie was murdered by her own sister. The light fading from her icy blue eyes as she cease to be. A flame that flickered out far too soon. He wasn’t sure if he could ever forgive her for that. _Killing your_ _own sister? _Louis thought about his two older sisters. God,he wondered if either one of them were still alive. It had been so long since he even thought about them,let alone saw them. If they were,they probably hated him for tearing the family apart over fucking singing lessons. They probably wouldn’t even be the same loving older sisters he last saw them as. Even so,He'd _never _kill them. Louis just couldn’t understand it,even if she was forced to do it. He knew that he would never if he were put in the same position. He’d rather die than kill anyone of his family or friends. 

  
  
  


“We have to stop the bomb.” Minerva stated,as if it was the most logical solution.

“Stop the- Are you fucking insane?!?” Louis asked,flabbergasted. 

  
  
  


“My people will die,they’re my family. You’re no better than them if you blow up our shit.” Minerva growled. The upbeat,vibrant girl he once knew was long dead,replaced with an empty hollow shell. Perhaps ever since the very moment Minerva took Sophie‘s life,or maybe even before. She betrayed them for Lilly,for the delta. That was proof enough that she no longer saw them as anything more than new recruits. A tool to further the delta’s gain. 

  
  


“So you're fine with choosing them over us?! Can’t say I’m too surprised. Ms.My-sister-tried-to-escape-the-dickheads-that-kiddnapped-us-so-I-fucking-killed-her!!” Louis sneered. He couldn’t remember a time when he was as angry as he was right now. Not even the night when Marlon died,not even when Lilly put the barrel of her rifle against Clementine’s forehead. Or when he saw Violet get taken. Minnie’s lips became a thin white line,as she did her famous headshake. It was the same expression she made whenever her and Violet would fight over petty things. But now,it had a much more arrogant and condescending edge to it. “You really think I had a choice?” The raider asked,her voice eerie and low. She took a few steps forward,Minerva easily had one or two inches on Louis. A look of pure revulsion on her face. She looked at him as if he were an insect rather than an old friend. “Even if you manage to destroy our ship,every walker for 20 miles will hear it. You’ve made a literal fucking dinner bell!”

“Will you two fucking  _ stop _ ?!” Violet stepped between the two,as much as she wasn’t exactly on good terms with Louis. She knew how Minnie could get when she was angry. And the last thing any of them needed was Louis and Minerva getting into a fistfight when there apparent doom was looming over them,but the latter ignored her entirely,pushing passed both of them roughly. “I’m going to save everyone! I’m going to fix everything that’s been fucked by Clementine!” Minerva nearly screamed as she made a beeline for the boiler room. 

  
  
  


“ _ Minerva!!”  _ Violet called to her,rushing after her only to be stopped by Louis. His fingers digging into Violet’s forearm in a death grip. “Let me go!  _ Let me fucking go!!”  _ Violet struggled against him. 

  
  


No.

  
  


No.

  
  


Nonono.

  
  


This was a bad idea.

  
  


A very.

  
  


_ Very.  _

  
  


Bad idea.

“Fuck you,Louis! We have to help her! I’m not losing her again!!” Violet screamed in desperation. She fought,kicked,punched,and scratched at his vice-grip,all the misery and torment she endured over the years fueled her every move. Louis tried to drag her toward the stairs that Clementine climbed to get to the deck. He was on the verge of crying in frustration. They’d have to go passed the boiler in order to exit the boat,but there was no time. He couldn’t risk it. Now the best course of action was getting away from the bomb as much as possible. He figured maybe he could find Clementine and AJ and all four of them could find a way to get down to the shore together. Louis cried out in pain as Violet bit down as hard as she could on Louis’ arm,just as she started to taste the familiar taste of iron he loosened his grip. Violet bolted in the opposite direction.

  
  


_ FUCK.  _

  
  


Louis followed in close pursuit,he felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. His legs felt like Jelly as they drew closer and closer to the boiler,closer and closer to almost inevitable death. Louis reached out to grab her over and over,but in his petrified state Violet was able to outrun him. Through the sound of his heart beating in his ears,he heard something he didn’t quite recognize. It reminded him of when the trains used to pass through that small train station in the middle of the night before this all began. They had been so loud that they’d often wake up students and staff. A loud and vibrant whistling sound. Violet had burst through the door,Louis almost running into her at her sudden halt. Now he understood what the noise had been. Gray smoke filled almost every inch of the room,Louis and Violet immediately began to cough at the thick fog invading their lungs. The whistling pierced their ears,Louis could barely see his limbs in front of his face as he futilely tried to fan the smoke away. He called out for Violet,but he couldn’t hear the sound of his own voice over the shrill whistle.

Violet however,continued her search for Minnie. Screaming her name through gags and coughs. As she proceeded forward she came to a clearing. There,down the hall in the adjacent doorway Violet’s eyes rested on the sight of her former lover. An expression of dread and pure rage plastered across Minerva’s face. Her eyes had been so wide that if they became any wider they just might pop out of their sockets. A particularly loud shout from behind her snapped her attention back to Louis. Violet squinted to locate the dreadlocked boy,but was unable to through the Misty barricade that was growing thicker and thicker by the second. She felt like her heart was being torn in half between two people that she loves with all her being. They had to find him and get the fuck out of there as fast as humanly possible. 

  
  
  


She looked to Minerva with pleading eyes,she silently begged her to help them,help  _ him.  _ Sky blue met seafoam green. It was only for a second,but in that second;she knew the girl she had known for half of her life was gone. She had to face the irrefutable truth. There was no recognition,no sympathy.  _ Nothing.  _

  
  


Their gaze broke as Minerva’s eyes flickered to the boiler and down at the floor momentarily. The redhead’s hands fisted at her sides. 

  
  


Violet helplessly watched as Minnie turned away from her and ran. 

  
  
  


Her heart nearly stopped as she saw her ex-girlfriend’s form get smaller and smaller and finally rounded the corner ducking out of sight.

_ She ran. _

  
  
  


_ She abandoned them. _

  
  
  


_ She abandoned Louis. _

  
  
  


_ She abandoned  _ ** _her._ **

  
  
  


**Why?**

  
  
  
  


**WHY?!**

  
  
  


Memories flashed in her mind. When she met the twins at lunch that one fateful afternoon,when she heard Minnie and Louis perform “Don’t Be Afraid” for the very first time. How her heart raced and goosebumps formed up and down both of her arms at the sound of her voice. Of Violet accidentally blurting out her feelings to Minnie after a particularly close call with a walker down by the fishing shack. The kiss Violet planted on Minnie’s cheek just before she,Sophie,Marlon and Brody left the gates of Ericson for the last time. Violet had fantasized about the idea of Minerva still being alive. And hope that she hadn’t had in years spread throughout her chest at the possibility after learning the truth. But she never in a million years would have suspected this. 

  
  
  


The floor began to violently rattle and shake.

  
  


_ Oh god. _

  
  


_ They had run out of time. _

  
  


_ They were going to die. _

  
  


_ Louis. _

  
  


_ He was going to die. _

  
  


** _Because of her._ **

He was going to die because of Violet,after everything he had done for her. No. She had to protect him. Louis,who had always been there for her. Louis,who had risked his life to save her. Louis,who had never abandoned her. From that moment forward,everything seemed to happen in slow motion. Violet desperately lunged herself forward in the vague direction she had last left him. The second Violet’s body connected with Louis,knocking him out of the way...

**** __  
  
  


The air exploded. 

** **

Violet had intentionally placed herself between the boiler and Louis in a pitiful attempt to save him. If they we’re both doomed to die,she was going to do everything in her power to make the possibility of survival higher for Louis. He didn’t deserve to die because of her mistakes. Even if there was the slightest chance of him making it,then it was worth it. The deafening explosion launched a bright hot wall of fire directly into Violet‘s face.

That was it,one moment was all it took. Perhaps if Violet hadn’t been so resistant to reason,perhaps if Louis had been strong enough to forcefully drag Violet up that stairwell and onto the deck to relative safety,perhaps if Minnie hadn't gone completely off the rails and tried something as unhinged and reckless as stopping a bomb from blowing up an entire ship,perhaps things would’ve ended differently. However,what’s done is done. And in the end,the wheel that is fate,turned just enough to affect the lives of all involved. After she was able to register the unbearable agony that suddenly tore through the upper side of her face,there was no more thinking. She let out a bloodcurdling scream but it was muffled by an unknown liquid that was rapidly flowing into her mouth and down into her lungs. Water? She instinctively thrashed around,sputtering and spitting out the substance only for it to return whenever she tried to inhale. She opened her eyes to try and grasp what had happened,but her vision was met with nothingness. Her ears were ringing so loudly that she reached up to cover them,even though she knew that it wouldn’t make a difference. Violet paid no mind to the hands that urgently pulled her out of the cold,damp abyss. She paid no mind to the horrified shouts and cries. Even her face that was now stinging and burning in shearing pain was nothing in comparison to the terrible realization;that Minnie had knowingly left both of them to die.

* * *

**20 minutes earlier**

  
  


Clementine reached the top of the stairs slightly out of breath,she could hear muffled voices ahead of her. Years of running on the road had amplified Clementine’s senses. 

  
  


“We’ll focus that energy. Sharpen it.”

  
  
  


She noticed the smoke coming from the funnel.

  
  
  


“Shit,they must have started the boiler.” She acknowledged. That means they only had so much time.

  
  
  


“I’ve known Clementine since the beginning, she’ll come around.”

  
  
  


Clementine slowly crept forward,using the various crates and boxes as cover.

  
  


“You’ll come around too,once you see what we have to offer. Plenty of food,comfortable beds for you and Clem. You can even share a room.”

  
  
  


She growled,gritting her teeth together into a snarl. Was Lilly really that full of herself to think that she would be able to turn AJ against her by simply waving a cookie in front of him? Lilly had changed indefinitely,but other things had remained the same. Underneath her cold,nearly sociopathic demeanor,she was still the same arrogant and self-righteous woman she was back in the motor inn.

  
  


_ "You think you're some tough  _ ** _bitch_ ** _ ,don't you? Like nothing can hurt you. But you're just a scared little girl. Get the  _ ** _fuck_ ** _ over it. Take a page from Lee's book and try  _ ** _helping_ ** _ somebody for once." _

  
Carley’s words rang clear in her mind. Her voice laced with venom. Clementine chuckled to herself,as far as she was concerned,no truer words had ever been spoken. Somethings never change.

  
“Trust me AJ,you’re going to fit right in where I’m from. We respect the strong here, and I can tell by one look at you that you’re strong. Both of you are.”

A new voice spoke up,a man. “Found this one sneaking over the docks.” 

  
  
  


Clementine ducked behind another crate as she got a good look at the man and the female raider she now knew as Sullene. Sullene aimed her rifle at Tennessee’s back.

  
  


“Tenn!” AJ cried out to his friend.

  
  


“Ma’am! He wasn’t alone,I got something else to show you.” A tall woman with short blonde hair called out to Lilly from behind. Lilly looked over her shoulder with a sadistic grin. “Show me.” She commanded. 

  
  


Clementine observed the situation silently,contemplating what her next move should be. She waited for Sullene and the disheveled man to pass her before she proceeded forward. 

  
  


“Found this in the herd.” The unidentified woman’s spoke,a hint of disgust in her tone.

James sat crouched against the wall. The woman removed his mask,his eyes squinted as he tried to adjust to the light.

  
  


Lilly chuckled sarcastically. “No wonder there was so many walkers.” She stared down at him,as if he were a vile beast. The whisperers were a well known group. They had established many “packs” around Eastern and Midwest America. They were…unorthodox to say the very least. A primitivist society,preferring to act like animals rather than humans. Rumors surfaced of demolished communities and various stories of sexual assault on women and young girls. The whisperers were blindly ruled by their primal urges. Food,water,and sex. Absolutely no morality. Her disdain for them was not at all unfounded.

  
  


“Must’ve thought you were clever,leading those walkers here. Or was that Clementine’s idea?” Her voice ripe with anger and dissatisfaction. “Nothing to say?”

  
  
“You don’t  **fucking** scare me.”   


James’ voice cut through the air like a sharpened blade. It sent a small shiver down Clementine’s spine,much to her surprise. The pacifistic ex-whisperer was clearly out of his element. She didn’t even think she had heard him swear until just now. “Is that so?” Lilly countered,appearing unphased. She casually walked toward him until she stood right below his feet. Her hands on her hips as if she were scolding a preschooler for throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of class. As Lilly and the other woman’s attention was solely on James,Clementine briskly made her way to the other side of the funnel. Making sure to keep her distance while still being close enough to jump into action at a moments notice. “You force your ways onto others,because you’re afraid. Because you’re  **weak.** ”

  
  


_ "You like to think you're the leader of this little group,but we can make our own goddamn decisions! This isn't your own personal dictatorship!" _

Kenny. God,why were all these memories coming back to her now? Lilly’s presence had been a thorn,deeply and painfully submerged in her side for the past few weeks. It had been the thing she despised about Lilly the most. The internal torment and turmoil that she had unknowingly planted inside of her was finally starting to boil over. Lilly had caused Clementine so many hardships even before,she held the fact that Lee was a convicted felon over his head constantly. And attempted to use it against him when she had murdered Carly in cold blood. Only for it to laughably backfire. Lee had been smart enough to tell Kenny and Katjaa,ironically by Carly’s request. Now,she had been responsible for the death of two teenagers. Captured three of her friends,and turned her...best friend against her. As much as she was hurt and angered by Violet’s betrayal,she couldn’t bring herself to blame her. Lilly has always proven herself to be a scheming,manipulative witch.

Clementine’s mind drifted to Larry. Specifically when Lee had pulled Lilly away from Larry’s comatose body as Kenny dropped a salt lick onto his head. At first she had been frightened by this,but quickly realized that it was the most logical thing to do. Larry stood at 6’4,and was a 300+ pound man. Who just so happened to be an ex-marine. Clementine had been just a child,but even she knew that doing anything else in that situation would be nothing short of suicide. She bitterly hoped that seeing her again was just as painful to Lilly as it was for her. “I give my people a cause to fight for.” Lilly’s voice snapped her attention back to the matter at hand. “Don’t listen to her,AJ. All they do is kill. It’s not for a cause it’s-” James’ rant was cut short when Lilly’s boot made contact with his stomach,effectively silencing him. “Nothing else?” Lilly barked,her patience fading. “The thing about people like him AJ,is that they’re too broken to fit into a community. They won’t fight for anyone but themselves.” Lilly spat at James. It landing near inches away from him,causing him to recoil. 

  
  


Lilly stepped back as she cocked her head slightly to the right. “Kill it.” She ordered.

_ “No!!”  _ AJ protested. Tennessee,finding his courage stumbled forward. Pulling a gun from the holster that was hanging off of the blonde-haired woman. “What the fuck?” She turned towards him,slowly backing away as he held her at gunpoint with shaky hands. “Easy there Tenn.” Lilly held her hands up in a defensive,surrendering gesture. “D-Don’t hurt him! Just...stop hurting people. Please!”

  
  


“Shoot her!” AJ shouted. James,sensing that the situation was about to take a terrible turn for the worst,tries to get up. But his attempts are halted by the rifle being pointed at him once again. “Why don’t we all just take a breath,alright?” Lilly’s tough exterior was breaking more and more by the second. Fear dawning on her face as Clementine scoffs,what a fucking coward. The moment there’s even the slightest hint of danger,Lilly acts like a scared puppy with its tail between its legs instead of the strong,fearless leader that she pretends to be. “Give me my friends back!” Tenn demanded. His voice breaking at the end,betraying him. “Put down the gun!” Lilly was almost too shocked to move. She had a lot of experience winning fights and raids but no real time clocked in losing them. She had never felt control of a situation slip so quickly before. “Let them go! All of us! Or..or else!”

Lilly nodded at the woman behind Tennessee,seemingly having a plan. Clementine caught onto this immediately and felt uneasy. “Fine. Go ahead then,do it. Save your friends.” Lilly leaned down,boldly placing her forehead against the muzzle of the gun. Using the information Minerva had given her about every resident of Ericson's boarding school,including Tennessee. She knew he was the least confrontational of them all. A shy,clumsy artist that was always stumbling over his own words. It was extremely unlikely that he would pull the trigger. She could afford to make this move. “That’s what you came here to do,isn’t it?” Tenn finally cracked under the pressure,fat hot tears ran down his cheeks. “Oh,I see. You came here to cry.” She mocked.

“Tenn..” AJ voiced,his expression softening at the sight of his distraught friend. Lilly swiftly swipe the gun out of the boys hands. Fuck. This was Clementine’s cue. “I guess you’re not a soldier either.” 

“Please don’t-!!” James protested. 

“No!” Suddenly,AJ bit down hard on Lilly’s hand. His teeth sinking through her gloves and into her flesh. This briefly took the other woman’s attention off of James,giving him just enough time to jump her. Clementine felt the anger,frustration,and stress that had been coming to a slow build over the previous weeks,the deadly mixture finally exploding into rage. She rushed at Lilly,they both fell to the ground. Clementine held her down,as she grabbed Lilly’s head. With all of her strength,she slammed her face first into the floor. The sound of her head colliding with the wooden planks below was met with a sickening crunch. At some point during the fall,the gun had skidded a few feet away from them. Clementine shuffled to her feet,but Lilly was too quick. Her fingers tangling into the short brunette curls,yanking her back. She fell back to the ground,Lilly slowly started toward Clem only for her to kick her left leg out from under her. Lilly climbed on top of her and punched her straight in the chest so viciously that it forced all the air out of her. Clementine gasped,trying to catch her breath but Lilly never let up. Delivering punch after punch. She looked up into Lilly’s face. Blood streamed down the bloody stump that used to be her nose,her eyes practically aflame. There was no guilt or mercy. Just rage and a sickening satisfaction of regaining dominance once again. Clementine had the nerve to kill her people,the nerve to turn her own pray against her. Sure,Clementine was 10 times more useful to the Delta then all the other kids combined. But she wasn’t worth the risk. She had proven to be more of a nuisance than actually beneficial.

“Stop!” Tennessee cried out,the tears having no intention of stopping as he shook in fear. Unsure of what to do. However,AJ jumped into action. The 6 year old tried desperately to pry the woman’s fists away from his surrogate mother,the distraction gave Clementine the chance to swing at Lilly successfully knocking her onto her back. She crawled forward inching herself up the wall as she gulped down some much-needed oxygen. Every breath was met with a burning ache,her muscles sore and bruised. Clementine coughed,trying to clear her airways but it was accompanied by a wet splash of blood. She fumbled for her knife while Lilly rushed her once again,violently slamming her against the wall. Clementine attempted to pierce the blade into Lilly’s neck,but Lilly tightened her grip around the younger woman’s wrist. Forcing it out of her grip as it clattered to the floor. Lilly backhanded her across her face,before she had a chance to retaliate the raider had pinned her against the metal railing that lined the ship. Causing her spine to bend at an unnatural and painful angle. She gasped and struggled,wincing as more pressure was added. “You’ve made a huge fucking mistake-” The raider let out a scream of pain as Clementine jammed her thumb into Lilly’s eye socket. Clementine noticed the excessive amount of blood pouring down her arm and down Lilly’s face mixing with the blood from her nose. She cringed as she pushed it deeper into her skull,but having an opposite effect of what she wanted as Lilly only forced herself through the pain. One of her hands reaching for Clementine’s,her nails digging into her flesh while the other wraps itself around her neck and squeezes with all of her strength. Clementine had to die,and as painfully as possible. Years of working for the Delta had fractured her. There was no more logic,no sense of empathy. The woman from the motor inn was long gone,only pure hatred and the primal desire for survival fills the gap that broken and scared woman had once occupied. Clementine had been the only thing tying Lilly to who she wants had been but her rebellion had completely eliminated any lingering thread of humanity inside of her. Clementine’s vision started to become blurry,fading in and out as her lungs screamed for air. She knew that if she lost consciousness now,she would never wake up. Death would finally come to take her away from this madness that had been her life for the past eight years. Out of the corner of her eye,she saw AJ. The little boy’s face morphed into anger and grief as tears of desperation clouded his vision. AJ cried out in anger as he threw himself forward,knife in hand. He thrust the blade into her right thigh to the hilt,Lilly growled as she easily kicked him to the side. With all of her remaining strength,she kicks at the knife. The combination of Clementine’s dazed state and blurry vision and Lilly’s reflexive movements forced the dagger deeper and deeper into the Delta leader’s flesh with each kick. Lilly lost the battle to her agony and released her grip. Without the previous pressure pinning her,Clementine fell forward onto the unforgiving floor.

As Clementine tried to collect herself,she noticed the broken leader pitifully slithering her way toward the gun that had been forgotten in their scuffle. Before she could react,it was picked up by a small hand that belonged to none other than AJ. AJ,Clementine’s little boy;wore an expression of concentrated hatred and rage. One that had no place on someone of his age. “AJ Wait! I give up-I will give up!” Lilly wailed. She struggled to get to her feet,but the blade still deeply submerged into her leg prevented her from doing so. “Put down the gun! I’ll let everyone leave! My crew and I will leave! We won’t bother you anymore!” She pleaded pathetically,her eyes wide with fear as if she were a deer staring into the barrel of a hunter. “AJ.” James,who had eventually managed to take down the other woman and disarm her stepped forward. His voice firm yet calm,trying not to provoke the boy any further. “She’s not a threat,lower the gun-” “You weren’t down there,you didn’t see what she did! She tried to cut us all up!” 

  
  


All the voices blurred together.

  
  
  


_ “Y-You don’t have to do this please!!” _

  
  


_ “It’s a trick!”  _

  
  


_ “Don't you fucking dare,AJ.” _

  
  


Clementine locked eyes with AJ,their was something behind the hazelnut brown that she couldn’t distinguish. Determination? Wrath? Righteousness? Perhaps a mixture of all three. It all mixing into a thick bittersweet syrup that stirred around in the irises of his eyes. But behind it being a silent cry for help. Worried that he might make the wrong call once again.

_ “Just...give me the gun.” _

  
  
  


_ “You can’t let her hurt anyone else!” _

  
  
  


_ “I don’t want to die!” _

  
  
  
  


**She’s lying,AJ,Shoot her. Ⓧ Ⓑ ** She’s beaten,AJ,stand down **.**

  
  
  
  


“Do it,AJ!” Clementine demanded. And that was all it took.

** _Bang!_ **

  
  


Lilly’s body Slumped to the ground,the bullet tearing through her cheek and exiting the back of her head. Clementine could practically see the light fading from her former friend’s eyes. Her face permanently contorted in horror at the realization of Clementine’s command. 

  
  
  


“No…” James whispered,eyes widened.

  
  
  


Everyone was startled at AJ opening fire once again.

** _Bang!_ **

  
  


** _Bang!_ **

  
  


** _Bang!_ **

  
  


** _Bang!_ **

  
  


Over and over and over again,It had to have been 9…no 10….11?...12? 

  
  
  


“AJ  _ stop!!”  _ James cried out and AJ obeyed emotionlessly. Lilly was now unrecognizable,a sticky red mush that stained the deck. Hair and tattered clothing was the only indicator of who the deceased was. A pair of footsteps caught everyone’s attention. 

  
  
  


“Lilly,we couldn’t find the other…” The raider,sullene trailed off as she spotted her commander’s lifeless corpse. Incomprehension plastered across her features for a few seconds,before her eyes narrowed. However,she seemed to implode at the site of Clementine. The girl responsible for her husband Yonathan’s death. “What did you do?! You’re  _ fucking _ dead!”

  
  


Suddenly a loud rumble shook the ground violently,Clementine knew immediately that they had run out of time. The raider’s initial confusion turned to horror as the shaking became more severe. Black smoke tumbled out of the funnel. Without even realizing it,she stumbled toward AJ.

  
  
  


“Shit,the bomb! AJ”

Clementine wasn’t even able to comprehend the sound or light. Her eyes and ears unable to fully grasp it,she was only able to register the painful thud of her head colliding into the wall behind her. Her eyes were suddenly too heavy to open,but she couldn’t let herself pass out. She had to find AJ and escape. She fought to keep her eyes open,but it’s never a fight you can win. 

**Author's Note:**

> Holy Shit! That’s a lot of shit to go down in 20 minutes,huh? To clear up any confusion about my interpretation of Minnie, She DOES care about Violet and Louis. But everything, including her family and friends falls second to the Delta. She’s so far gone that she can’t picture of future for herself or her friends without the delta in it. So when the choice ultimately is split between her old life and the delta,  
she chooses the delta. As she was “groomed” into truly believing that she was nothing without it. Down in the boiler room, she has a complete mental break down after realizing that it’s too late. And leaves the two of them down there to try to help her fellow raiders and deal with the damage that had been done. The tag “Unhealthy Relationships” is referring to Violet and Minerva, as it was severely neglectful and possibly even emotionally abusive at times. But any-who, first fanfic. Took me a literal month to pull this chapter out of my ass, I have the attention span of a goldfish. Chapter too is underway. Tune in next time :)


End file.
